


A Six Month Journey

by VicariousLady89



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Cheating, Crime Scenes, Denial, Drama & Romance, Emotionally Repressed, F/M, Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers, Feelings, Feelings Realization, Fights, Goddesses, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Justice, Lemon, Lime, Love, Love Confessions, Mates, Monster Hunters, Monsters, OTP Feels, Puzzles, Quests, Romance, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Sexy Times, Soulmates, Spirits, Suffering
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:54:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24887935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VicariousLady89/pseuds/VicariousLady89
Summary: Natsu dragged me on a bizarre six month long scavenger quest with just the two of us after having his heart broken. While fighting to stay alive, we realized we were also fighting our repressed feelings. Between researching, battling to keep each other safe, and struggling through trauma, could we ever be together the way I'd always wanted?
Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia
Comments: 13
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

**Chapter One: A New Adventure**

"Natsu, hold up!" I yelled, adjusting my shirt as I tried to regain my breath. Catching up to Natsu was hard, especially when he was sprinting as fast as he could towards the Guild Hall and I certainly didn't stand a chance against the Dragon Slayer's strength. Especially when he was so excited. The fire breather had shown up at my apartment at the crack of dawn, pouncing on me in my slumber to inform me that some super special job had been posted at the Guild, and he wanted to get to it before anyone else could.

As tired as I was, I couldn't exactly blame him. The reward was two million jewel and two supposedly "rare" Gate Keys. Though I was highly skeptical about the Gate Keys considering I had nine of the Zodiacs, which were supposed to be the most powerful. However, I couldn't pass up the chance to get my hands on part of the reward jewel. Natsu had been in such a rush that he couldn't even give me the courtesy of explaining the job before taking off out of my window.

That's how I found myself running through the streets of Magnolia, calling after Natsu as I tried to comb my fingers through my rat's nest of hair. I had definite bedhead, and I hadn't even had time to slip on my shoes. The only thing I managed to do before leaving my apartment after Natsu was slip on a purple tube top and my favorite black skirt.

It only took a few moments of running before I could finally see the Guild Hall, home to the Guild of Fairy Tail. I was definitely out of breath and energy, which made me wish I had just called Virgo to carry me. I would have, too, but I could never treat my Spirits as such. Not to mention the fact that, if this job was as difficult as the jewel made it out to be, I would need to conserve all the magical energy I could.

Finally reaching the doors to the Fairy Tail Guild Hall, I barely made it half a step inside looking for Natsu before said man barreled into me, a job flyer clutched tightly in his fist.

"I got it!" he cackled triumphantly, holding the job poster up for me to see.

_ Scavenger Work: _

_ Each answer will lead you to the next, _

_ There shall be five in all. _

_ Each answer that you do discover, _

_ Will help you make the call. _

_ #1 _

_ What force and strength can not get through, _

_ I with a gentle touch can do. _

_ And many wish they had my tumble, _

_ Just to see inside Mount Rumble. _

**_REWARD:_ **

**_20,000,000 J_ **

**_2 Rare Gate Keys_ **

I gaped openly at the flyer. A riddle scavenger hunt? If this mission was so valuable, why waste a wizard's time forcing them to hunt down the actual job?

"Um, Natsu..."

"Come on!" Natsu exclaimed brightly, grabbing me by the wrist and dragging me back in the direction of my apartment. "You need to get packed while I go home and pack. Mira said the train for Starview leaves in an hour!"

Scowling heavily at the back of Natsu's salmon-colored head, I whined in exasperation. "Why did you have to wake me up and drag me to the Guild if you already knew which job you wanted? And I didn't even get to tell Mira that I was going – "

"She knows," Natsu said, almost too chipper, as he continued to lead the way. He turned his head sideways to give me a toothy grin. "And I just felt like it. You're adorable when you're angry."

"NATSU!"

Forty-five minutes later, I found myself at the train station with my bag slung over my shoulder, yawning tiredly as I looked around for any sign of the rest of the group. I was so tired that I could have just curled up on a bench and slept, but I knew I had responsibilities. As soon as we boarded the train, Natsu's motion sickness would incapacitate him, which would leave me taking care of him the whole time.

"Lucy!" I heard my name being yelled across the station. Turning and looking around quickly, Natsu's pink hair made him easy to spot. He had his usual over-sized pack slung over his shoulder, but I didn't see Happy or Lisanna anywhere around. Or Erza. Or Gray.

"Natsu!" I called, relieved that we could finally board. As he came within a couple of feet, he gave me his trademark mischievous smirk. "Where's Happy? Getting tickets?"

"Nah, I already got those," he said with a distinct air of satisfaction about him as he fanned his face with two tickets.

"W-wait," I stumbled over me words, counting the tickets in his hands. "Natsu, what about Happy and Lisanna and the others? Where are they?"

Natsu's face fell slightly with worry, but only barely. Coughing briefly before scratching the back of his head nervously, he said, "Yeah. Um. There's something I forgot to tell you about this job."

I could feel my temper rise in immediate skepticism. Narrowing my eyes at the Fire Dragon Slayer, I said lowly through clenched teeth, "What did you 'forget' to tell me, Dragneel?"

Giving me his terrified grin, he said in a tone so fast that I almost didn't catch what he said. "This-is-a-two-wizard-quest-and-it's-a-half-year-job."

As I processed his words, I felt the blood drain from my whole body as I glared confused daggers at the man I suddenly wanted to violently strangle in his sleep. "It... It  _ what _ ? Two – only two – wizards only? A HALF A FUCKING YEAR?!" I was causing a scene around us but there was no way to keep me from completely losing my shit. How in the Hell was I going to pay my rent if I was  _ gone for six months _ ? We wouldn't even be paid until the job was completed! And why the fuck would he ever think I could tolerate spending six months alone with him?! I'd be institutionalized once we got back. "Have you lost your mind, Natsu? I can't just  _ leave _ on a six month job! And what about Happy? He's considered a wizard, too."

Off in the distance, I heard the warning whistle for the train, which only irritated me further. Apparently, however, Natsu had come prepared for this confrontation. "Happy is... He's more concerned about Carla right now."

"Okay, and what about Lisanna?" I prodded further.

I saw him tense but he said, "You know she's not much for jobs. And Elfman and Mira just got her back a year ago. Couldn't just take her away for six more months." He paused for a moment before switching gears. "If you're worried about your apartment, I got it covered. Juvia said she was looking for a private place away from Fairy Hills so she could work on herself or some weird chick thing like that. She was more than happy to basically sublease in exchange for privacy."

Growling, mostly to myself, I said, "That Water Mage better not flood the place. Oh man, the landlady would be so pissed."

Natsu only continued. "And I don't know why it said only two Mages, but since Gate Keys were included in the reward, I thought you'd be the best partner."

"But, Natsu..." I said, feeling myself pale even more. "Our Guild – our nakama – We won't see any of them for months!"

Natsu's happy disposition faded slightly. "Yeah. I thought about that, too. But... It's the first S-Class job the Master has ever willingly let me have without requiring an S-Class escort. If we come back successful, Makarov said he would promote us both to S-Class wizards."

"What?" I gasped, covering my hand with my mouth briefly. "But... But I've only be a wizard for a few years and been with FairyTail even less. Why on Earthland would Master Makarov promote  _ me _ ? I mean,  _ you _ deserve it at this point, but – "

"Lucy," Natsu said, grabbing me by the shoulders gently and smiling wider. "I don't know if you've figured this out yet, but Celestial Wizards are almost as rare as Dragon Slayers. The magical community sees Celestials as very powerful because they can summon Spirits from other worlds with ease, while there are some who dedicated their entire lives trying to do the same with with only  _ one _ Spirit."

The train gave another warning sound, but I wasn't ready for our conversation to be over. "Ugh, we have to go and you're useless to talk to on a train. Come on. Let's just go and you can explain more in Starview." I was beyond irritated, but we had a train to catch.

"I'm really sorry, Virgo, but we have to get to our hotel room and he's way to heavy for me."

I couldn't have been more apologetic to my Maiden Spirit standing before me on the train. I never wanted to treat my Spirits like pack-mules, but there were only two more minutes left to get off the train and Natsu was out cold.

"Of course, Princess. Would you like for me to punish him as well?" she replied obediently, her sadomasochistic side coming out like it always did.

I felt my face flush slightly red as I waved her off. "Oh, no, no. That's not necessary. Just carry him until we get to our room at the Starview Hotel, please."

"Very well, Princess," Virgo said with a polite smile. Grabbing Natsu and his pack and picking them both up with ease, she looked expectantly at me, ready for me to take the lead in our trek.

The Starview Hotel was only a few blocks from the train station, but I had been awake since dawn thanks to Natsu so I was exhausted as it neared one in the morning. As I slid my feet along the ground in a tired fashion, it didn't help my mood any that Natsu was starting to show signs of life, but was still sick enough to make those horrible noises.

Once we were in the rather fancy looking hotel, I checked us in quietly using the Master's credit sphere and got us to our room as quickly as possible. I stopped on our way to the room to get a bucket of ice, just to prepare for when I dispersed Virgo.

"Alright Virgo, if you'll please place him on the bed –  _ gently _ ! – you may go. I'm sure you have other things to do," I said embarrassedly, covering my face with a hand.

"I will always be here when you need me, Princess. You are no burden." Virgo was just as prompt and polite as ever. Actually setting Natsu down instead of dumping him, she bowed to me slightly before fading away into the golden mist of the Celestial World.

"Okay," I huffed to myself, looking around at our bags. "Guess it's my turn to put our stuff away... as always." Looking around, I noted the bucket of ice I had grabbed still sitting on the nightstand next to Natsu.

' _ Hmm _ ..." I thought evilly to myself. ' _ I'm sure a nice, cold dousing should bring a Fire Dragon Slayer roaring back to life _ .' Yes, it was childish and petty, but Natsu spent so much time making my life Hell just to amuse himself, so why shouldn't I return the favor?

Smirking and thanking God for not letting anyone be there to stop me, I grabbed the bucket of ice and wasted no time. Going to the bathroom sink, I filled the ice bucket up with just enough water to clear the ice. Shaking it carefully to make the water colder faster, I knew it was game on.

' _ Time for Crack of Dawn payback! _ '

Standing a safe distance away from the bed, I smiled right before letting the ice-water fly. It was right on target, expanding its reach to where it splashed him from his knees to his head. I didn't even have the luxury of a split second to enjoy my work before Natsu was on his feet, mad as a... well, a wet cat. It was almost as funny as when Happy had to get a bath.

"What the ever living Hell, Lucy?!" Natsu snarled out, letting shallow flames engulf him to dry up the rest of the water. "Are you trying to fucking kill me? Or get me to kill you? Cause that's how you get Dragon Slayers to kill you!"

Natsu was well into his rant, but I could do nothing but smirk as I crossed my arms under my breasts. Completely ignoring Natsu's tirade, I interrupted coolly, "Oh, Natsu! You're finally up. That's really great because I could  _ really  _ use some help unpacking."

"Have you lost your damn mind, woman?!" he shouted, looking like he was about to rip his own hair out. "What if I'd gone into shock? You would have felt so baaaad – "

"Natsu," I said seriously, placing a hand on his shoulder. Looking him in the eye with a barely concealed smirk, I continued, "You are perfectly okay, Princess, and I not dumb enough to  _ not _ know that it wouldn't hurt you. Your subconscious heats you up accordingly on instinct. Most of the water evaporated on contact."

"I fuckin' knew it!" he ranted, grabbing his bag and pulling it to himself. "Women are psychotic. Why do I even bother – ?"

"Bother with what?" I asked curiously, sitting gently on my designated bed furthest away from the door. Natsu always had a weird protective thing going on when it came to sleeping arrangements. He always needed to be closest to the door, and he never once budged on that decision.

Natsu's face immediately morphed into a hot crimson color, and all of a sudden he was much too interested in the contents of his bag.

"Ugh, stupid boys," I growled aloud. Rolling my eyes in defeat, I got up and sat next to Natsu, who was pulling the job flyer from his pack. "Anyways, you think we should start working on the riddle tonight or get some sleep and start early tomorrow?"

I hadn't realized it, but apparently halfway through the question, I yawned. Natsu was looking at me with an amused grin.

"Well," he sad, giving me a smirk. "You look like a herd of Wyverns trampled you, so I'd say you need to get some beauty rest."

"ARE YOU CALLING ME UGLY, DRAGON BREATH?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Shambles**

Dawn came much more quickly than I needed it to, shining through the ornate curtains of our hotel room with more vibrancy than I thought was even possible. Groaning very loudly and irritably, I rolled over in my bed to shield myself from the offending light.

"Lucy?"

Natsu's voice was groggy, but hesitant. Though I couldn't see his face, I could tell he wasn't wearing his usual, joyful "we're going on an adventure!" look.

"Yes, Natsu?" I answered softly, my eyes only halfway open.

There was a long pause filled with silence. Natsu was obviously thinking about what he needed to say. After a few moments of his quiet thinking, I finally heard him ask hesitantly, "You do... Did I screw up? Should we have left on such a huge job by ourselves? Do... Do you hate me? For tricking you?"

' _ Oh, Natsu _ .'

I felt my heart break slightly for the pink-haired wizard. He was never one to second-guess himself, so it must have really been bothering him.

Trying to keep my voice light, I said, "Of course I don't hate you, dummy. You drive me insane to the ends of Earthland and back, but I could never hate you. You're Natsu Dragneel. You make it impossible for anyone to hate you once they get to know you." Yawning widely and rubbing my eyes, I sat up in my bed. I looked over to see Natsu sitting up as well, giving me an intense look. "And as for the mission... Well, a bit more warning would have been nice. I can't really say anything though. If this is what it takes for you to become an S-Class Wizard, then I wouldn't say it's necessarily a bad idea. If Master Makarov allowed you to do this job with only  _ me _ , then he has the utmost faith in you, and that's more than all I need to know to want to help."

"So... You're not mad at me?" he asked, running a hand through his already wild hair.

"I got my payback last night. I'm good now," I said with a proud smile. However, no matter how powerful Celestial Wizards were, they were basically useless in physical combat. So I never stood a chance of dodging the incoming pillow that Natsu had thrown at me, which slammed me square in the face.

"Oof!" I ground out, falling backwards off of my bed. Narrowly avoiding hitting my head on the nightstand, I let out an angry puff of air as I pulled myself to my feet. Natsu was still sitting cross-legged on his bed, laughing hysterically. Taking my opportunity, I vaulted across my bed, landing one foot on the ground easily before using it to propel myself forward, crashing into Natsu full-speed.

Once I felt our bodies collide, I threw my arms around his waist and held on tight. I was preparing to take Natsu down off the bed, even if I went down with him.

"Lucy – !" Natsu barked out. Luck seemed to be in my favor, because he wasn't quite awake and alert enough to maintain his balance, promptly letting me throw him off the edge. We both landed with a harsh thud, but Natsu cushioned most of my fall. With me still laying atop him cross-ways, he looked at me fiercely and barked out, "Do you have a death wish!?"

I was smiling and laughing as I looked at Natsu beneath me, his clothes and hair intensely disheveled. "Nope. You'd never lay a finger on me and you know it."

Natsu almost didn't respond to that, and I was pretty sure it was because he knew it was true. Putting on his nonchalant smirk he said coolly, "I think you put too much trust in our friendship."

"Never." I grinned, sitting up from the awkward position we were in before I started blushing. I didn't want Natsu to even have a hint of the crush I had on him. I had basically been in love with him since only a few months after we met, and I thought we had a chance to actually get together at some point.

And then Lisanna came back from staying with her aunt.

I mean, I knew I couldn't blame Natsu for the way he felt about her. She had been in his life  _ long _ before I ever came along, and they had formed an incredibly profound bond when they were younger. She was beautiful, a Strauss, and very skilled with her magic. I didn't stand a chance against her.

So all I could do was hope Natsu never discovered my true feelings and that he and I remained best friends and partners. Yeah, it did hurt to have to stand on the sidelines and watch your love be in love with another, but I took what I could just so I could be part of that wonderful Dragon Slayer's life. God, I was pathetic.

"Hey, Luce?"

Natsu's voice broke me away from my train of thought. "Huh? Yeah?" I asked, focusing on him sitting next to me, both of us propped with our backs against the bed as we remained sitting on the floor.

"Are you sure this is okay?" he asked, looking almost blankly out the window. I knew he was referring to our current job and it just being the two of us. To be honest, I didn't think so. Maybe if he had brought Erza or Gray, it would be a cakewalk but me... I was nowhere near on par with the others.

"I think so, Natsu." I smiled, looking out the window as well. "Although... I still don't understand why the master would promote  _ me _ for this. I'm the most useless Mage out of the whole guild."

I heard Natsu huff out a laugh. "You're far from useless, Lucy. You've shown more balls since you started the Guild than half our Guild-mates combined. You may not think you're powerful, but you've summoned all of your Spirits at once, which has never been done in the history of Celestial Mages. And to top  _ that _ off, you  _ forced _ an audience with the Spirit King and convinced him to change his mind. I don't think there's literally a soul that's ever existed that has ever managed that."

Smiling sadly, I looked at Natsu, who was still gazing out of the window. "Just because I care more for my Spirits than other Celestial Mages doesn't make me a good wizard, though. Why on Earthland make  _ me _ S-Class?"

Natsu frowned, seeming to ponder on my question for a few moments. "I think... I think Master Makarov is testing you."

Eyes widening slightly, I asked, "Testing me like how? And for what?"

Natsu bit his lip nervously, which zeroed in my focus.

' _ Not now, Lucy. _ '

"Maybe..." he said, starting off slow. "Well, now that I think about it... I think... I think I remember him talking to Mira about making some of the Guild members into Mentors." At my questioning look, Natsu elaborated. "New recruits from all over Fiore have been flocking to Fairy Tail, wanting to join. The Master thinks having a – um, what do you call them? – representatives? Yeah. He thinks basically having a representative for each type of magic could help us organize jobs better. Maybe he wants you to make S-Class so he'll have a Celestial Mage on hand for that."

"What, like a teacher? What makes that old geezer think I'm any good with students?" Propping my face on my knees, I let out a string of unintelligible groans.

"Well, I..." Natsu said hesitantly, but his words were only followed by silence. When I realized he wasn't going to continue, I lifted my head to look at him.

I could only interpret his expression as odd. "N-Natsu?"

Next thing I knew, Natsu was suddenly surrounding me in an almost aggressive hug. With his large, warm embrace drawing me closer to him, I could help but inhale his natural scent, which was always like cinnamon and campfire. "Lucy," I heard him say, still holding me to him. "You need to stop doubting yourself so much and give yourself some credit. Not only do you have powerful Celestial magic, but you're contracted with several very powerful Spirits who love you and would die for you. The only way a Celestial Mage could be any closer to their Spirits is if they... Well, took their friendship  _ past _ friendship."

I knew what he was implying, and my experience in that area was so minuscule that I could do nothing but pull away, blushing, and ask, " So... There are wizards that... have  _ sex _ with their spirits?"

"From what I've heard, yeah," Natsu said in a slightly nervous tone, rubbing the back of his head. "Like I said, there aren't many Celestial Wizards in existence, but out of those few, there have been some who either fell in love with one of their Spirits or were corrupted and began...  _ abusing _ their Spirits. Why? Thinking about a certain Lion?"

Natsu's tone was completely unreadable, but I boiled over anyway. "What?! Are you crazy? Loke is a good friend and a trusted Spirit! And... And even if it  _ were _ like that – with  _ any  _ of my Spirits _ –  _ it would be nothing but torture! I'm gonna get old and die but Spirits live on  _ forever _ . I couldn't doom someone so close to me to an eternity of pain like that. I mean, let's face it. I'm as clumsy as they come so I'm bound to kick the bucket at a very young age."

"Don't say that!" Natsu snapped. I looked at him, but his hair shaded his eyes, making his expression unreadable. The air was very tense, and I could sense anger radiating from him. It was so strong that I could even feel heat roll off of him.

Wait.

"Kyaaaa!" I squealed out in pain. It felt like my entire right side was on fire. Jerking away and landing harshly on the floor, I looked up to see Natsu and his bed both engulfed in flames. The right side of my body was burned pretty badly, enough that that side of my tube top was destroyed, hanging on by only the tiny thin strip of cloth that had been saved by my underarm. "Natsu!"

All it took was the small jolt of my voice to snap Natsu out of whatever deep-thinking he had gone into. He immediately noticed that he was surrounded in flames (and his bed as well), so he looked around to see me lying on my side, trying to get his attention.

"Lucy!" That was all he needed to say before all the flames in the room dispersed, leaving behind only my injuries and a very incinerated bed. When all the fire was gone, Natsu was immediately by my side, checking my injuries. He examined my arm quickly before noticing where my shirt was burned away, the skin beneath it an angry red.

"Oh fuck," he started panicking, looking more and more freaked out the longer he stared at my injuries. "Oh fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck! Fuck, Lucy, I'm so sorry! I'm so fucking sorry! S-Stay here! I'm going to go get you some medicine!"

"Natsu – "

But he was already out the door.

' _ What the Hell just happened? _ ' Natsu never lost control of his magic like that unless he was in battle. What in the world could have made him lose it like that just then?

Oh, God. And he was going to completely blame himself, too. How was I supposed to deal with it? What were we going to do?

I stayed in my spot on the cold tile for what seemed like an eternity, trying to focus on anything but the scorching pain that engulfed my right side. I wasn't worried about the burns. If a person had enough Jewel, the drug stores all carried a special burn salve that healed burns within hours. I was more worried about Natsu.

"Lucy!" Natsu's voice suddenly resounded through the room, bringing me out of my worried thoughts. Looking around the room, I saw Natsu climbing through the window, which was several stories up. He was clutching a brown paper bag and his face was one of complete and utter devastation. Without saying another word, he rushed to me and picked me up gently, minding the burns. Going around the demolished bed, Natsu put me down softly on my bed sitting up, treating me as if I was going to break. I was hurting pretty bad but it still seemed like a little overkill. I'd been hurt a few times by his fire before, just never to that extent.

"Natsu, I can do this myself. Just give me the stuff – "

"No. No way in Hell. This is  _ my  _ fault." He wouldn't look me in the eyes as he shredded open the bag containing the jar of cream, crouching in front of me. Even more defeatedly, he said, "It's all... my... fault. I can't believe I... Jesus, Lucy."

He was at such a loss for words that it made my heart clench. It wasn't easy seeing him seem so helpless.

Ignoring my pain, I leaned forward and pulled Natsu into a tight embrace. He seemed to tense even more than he already was and tried to shy away. I didn't let go. "Natsu..." I said softly, burying my left hand into his hair. "It's okay.  _ I'm _ okay. I know you think it's your fault but it's not. Not really. You only get like that when you're really upset. Now," I said, pulling back to face him while suppressing a wince. Making him look me in the eye, I asked softly, " Why were you so upset?"

"It  _ is _ my fault, Lucy! You're hurt because of  _ my _ fire – "

"I'm not worried about that!" I raised my voice, closing my eyes against the tears forming. "I'll heal! What I'm worried about is  _ you _ ! You have to tell me why it happened or it might happen again and we won't be able to stop it so please just tell me! You're my best friend and it hurts to see you hurting."

I could see Natsu's eyes almost shimmering with emotion, but I knew he wouldn't actually start crying on me. I was burned pretty bad but by no means was going to die.

"Lucy..." he finally said sadly, opening the jar of cream still in his hands. Scooping some out, he touched it lightly to the worst of my burns first, on my forearm. I almost hissed at the sensation, but kept silent as Natsu continued. "There was another reason I wanted to drag the two of us away from Magnolia... Actually, it was going to be just me, but the Master said I couldn't. But I needed to get away, though, so I brought you with me."

"Natsu..." I said sadly, trying not to squirm too much at his gentle touch. Though my skin still felt like it was on fire, his easy ministrations with the burn cream felt incredible. He knew just the right amount of pressure he needed to use, and the smooth, circular motions he used were extremely soothing. "Why would you just take off on a half-year job by yourself? Why would you leave us behind and worry us like that?"

I could see a wetness forming in the corner of his eyes as he focused on coating my burns with the peppermint-smelling cream. "I needed some time away. I... Lisanna... I had to end it with her."

"What?" I gasped, bringing my uninjured hand to my mouth in shock. "Oh Natsu, I'm so sorry! What happened?"

Natsu paused his movements, which I sorely missed immediately.

"I... I really don't think I wanna talk about it. But... I owe you. I _at_ _least_ owe you an explanation after... this." He indicated to my burns, which were almost completely covered by the cream now. Easing my arm to the side so Natsu could get underneath where my shirt had burned away, I felt my cheeks burns at his gentle hands applying the salve there. I tried to ignore his fingers and listen.

Eyes not meeting mine, he began. "Lisanna... We were supposed to meet up to go do something. It got later in the afternoon, so I went looking for her. It's not like – it wasn't like her to be late. So I followed her scent from the Guild Hall and wound up at our nest-hut. Except... It wasn't just her scent out there. I could smell Bickslow, too, and the smell of... Anyway, I... I hoped I was wrong, but... I looked. I saw them. I was only a hair's-width away from completely destroying that creep, but I couldn't. It wasn't just him. Lisanna... She... She admitted that it had been going on for months. I don't think I've ever felt something so soul-crushing before. I was having a complete meltdown, but my outside felt numb. I guess I was in shock, because all I did was say it was over before walking away. That night is when I decided to leave for a while."

I sat, frozen in place. Lisanna – cute, meek, Fairy Tail Princess – had been cheating on Natsu? How could she be so cold-hearted? And to do it with that slimy Thunder Legion freak? It was so hard to believe.

But Natsu's expression told me it was the truth.

I couldn't stop the tears from falling down my cheeks as he spoke. I noticed he was closing up the jar of cream, so I knew he was finished covering my wounds. Looking him in the face again, I almost gasped aloud. Actual tears were streaming down his face now, and it was a crushing sight.

His voice was starting to come out broken. "Lis... How could she do this? How could she... Why Bickslow? Why at all? I thought we were happy. I thought... She said she was saving herself... Saving herself for  _ me _ . We... I was going to ask her to  _ marry _ me that day. I had the ring and... Why did she do this, Lucy?" His tone growing louder, he ground through the tears, "What did I do to deserve this?!"

Letting out a small sob, I leaned forward and pulled Natsu to me, mindful of the burn cream, and rested his head in the crook of my neck as I held him tightly. He was trembling, and it was obvious he was still crying, but I didn't. I was positively fuming with Lisanna, and Bickslow, by proxy. But at that moment, Natsu needed me. He needed his friend. And if being away from Magnolia is what he needed, I would stick by him no matter what.

We stayed in that position for hours.

It was nearly lunch time when I finally seemed to snap myself out of my rage-induced fantasies. Lisanna had torn my friend's heart to shreds in one of the most disgraceful ways possible. I swore to myself that when we got back to Fairy Tail, I was going to completely lay into both of those dishonorable cretins. Knowing Natsu, he was just going to let it go, because it had become blatantly obvious that there were some things not worth fighting. However, it wouldn't stop him from basically shutting the two out of his life. Things at the Guild were going to be extremely awkward when we got back, to say the least.

"Natsu..." I said softly, gently shaking the Slayer. His tears and trembling had stopped only a little while before, so I felt it was safe to try and do something else. My back and neck were killing me from staying in the same sitting up position for hours, but I didn't dare move the entire time. My best friend was hurting, and I was doing all that I knew that I could do.

I felt Natsu's breath hitch, and a slight groan escaped his lips.

'DID HE FALL ASLEEP ON ME?!'

"L...Lucy?" Natsu said, pulling himself back to look at me. His eyes were only slightly red and puffy, but he look so tired and worn down. His eyes widening, he said frantically, "Shit, Lucy! I – I'm so fucking sorry about all of this! I didn't mean to drag you in – "

Sternly placing a finger to his lips, I said, "Shh, Natsu, it's okay. Accidents happen. And I can feel that salve working. Only a few more hours and I'll be good as new."

Natsu grabbed my hand as I began to pull it away, staring at me deeply. "Will you?"

He said it as almost a challenge, but I refused to let him think otherwise. "Yes. No doubt about it." Flashing him one of my award-winning smiles, I twisted my legs around and stood up from the bed, stretching my sore stiff muscles. Looking down at Natsu's blackened lump that was supposed to be his bed, I bit my lip in frustration.

'Day one of a six-month mission and we've already managed to destroy something by accident.'

"Hey, um, Natsu?" I asked cautiously.

Natsu seemed to snap out of some sort of thought-process and looked up at me. "Yeah?"

"It's getting close to lunchtime. Why don't you go find us some food while I summon a Spirit to clean up this mess? Then we can start working on that riddle." I was hoping that getting us back on track would help distract him, at least a little bit.

"Oh, um, sure," he said in a surprised tone, raising an eyebrow. "But I'm the one who kinda destroyed it so shouldn't I take care of it?"

Looking up at Natsu as he stood next to me, I smiled brightly. "Yeah, well, I don't want to go out in public with this cream all over me and I'm starving but that charred smell is so gross so  _ you _ can be the one to go out in public and get food while  _ I _ do this. Two birds, one stone."

Natsu looked a little uncomfortable at the idea, but he only shrugged his shoulders. "Alright. I guess I'll be right back. And only let your Spirit do any work. You don't need to move too much until the burns heal."

With that, Natsu was out the door, in search of our lunch.

' _ Well, time to get down to business. _ ' I thought.' _ But who should I use? Taurus might wreck the place up more. I've already used Virgo once on our journey, and the other Spirits don't like being neglected. Loke could easily dispose of it, but there's no way I wanted him to know what had happened, and he would no doubt ask. And Aries would just tell him _ .'

It took me a few moments of deliberating, but I finally came to a decision. Grabbing my ring of keys, I pulled one and swished it in front of me. "Open, Gate of the Twins! Gemini!"

Bright golden light filtered through the room as I heard the Celestial Gate click open. Once the light faded away I looked up to see... Oh, God. Loke.

"Hey!" I screeched, immediately turning to my side so he couldn't get a good view of my burns. Grabbing his key, I swished it to disperse him but he only stayed there with a smirk on his face.

"I think," he started, putting a foot forward to begin slowly pacing. "You forgot that it's the Twins' day off. I can help you with whatever you need, though, Princess."

"Ugh!" I growled out. I  _ had _ forgotten. "Fine, yeah, I forgot! But I still didn't summon  _ you _ , you dumb lion!"

"Come now, Lucy," Loke said smoothly, stepping towards me. "I wanted to pay you a visit, anyway. I haven't seen you since your solo quest after the Wyvern. So what can I – "

His voice tapered off as he finally took notice of the charred remains of Natsu's bed. "Um... Am I right in guessing this is Natsu's doing?"

I felt my cheeks pinken a bit. "Y-yeah. It was an accident. He went to get some food so I told him I would take care of this – "

Just then, several things, too  _ many _ things, happened at once.

"Lucy!" Loke shouted, grabbing me and turning me so he could see my injured side. "You didn't say you got hurt – !"

The door swinging open stopped Loke mid-sentence. Natsu stood there holding armloads of food, even using his teeth to hold one of the bags. With muffled speech, he proclaimed proudly, "Got da food - "

Loke didn't even give Natsu a chance to finish before he grabbed the Dragon Slayer by his throat and slammed him against the wall, causing all of the food bags to fall to the floor. "What did you do to Lucy? Why did you hurt her?!" Loke looked every bit as fierce as the Zodiac Lion he represented.

"Loke, no! It wasn't his fault!" I yelled out, running forward to futilely drag Loke's grip from Natsu's throat.

"Like hell it isn't," he growled, tightening his grip. Boring his eyes into Natsu's, he said, "So what did you do? Try to take Lucy to bed and couldn't handle it? How dare you!"

Using his grip on Natsu's neck, the Celestial Spirit threw the Slayer to the floor forcefully. I was sure the confusion on Natsu's face very closely matched my own. Looking at the burns on my arm and back to the bed, something in my mind finally clicked.

Throwing myself on top of Natsu, Loke stopped in his tracks before he could attack again. "No, no! You've got it completely wrong! Natsu and I didn't... We never... Just... It's not what you think! I was sitting next to the bed when Natsu accidentally set it on fire! He didn't realize it, nor did I! I'm okay, though, really! The burn cream has my skin almost completely healed already. Please, Loke. Act rational!"

I could see the deliberation behind Loke's eyes, and he almost looked to be in pain.

"Lucy..." I heard Natsu say from beneath me. Looking down I saw a deep sadness shadowing his face. "I'm the one who got you hurt. I deserve this."

Baring my teeth and narrowing my eyes, I snarled, "You stay out of this! We've already had this conversation! You don't punish people for legitimate accidents!" Throwing my glare up at Loke, I said in just as much of a scary tone, "And you! I've explained what happened! You know when I'm lying, so leave Natsu alone! He's beating himself up enough about it as it is! We are on a half-year mission and this was not how I wanted to start it!"

I could feel myself seething after my little rant. Why the hell were all the boys the ones causing all the drama?

"Lucy," Loke said, drawing my attention back to him. His look of anger had faded, replaced with one of concern. "You two are on a half year job? Those are S-Class jobs!"

"Yeah, I know, thanks," I said sharply, my attitude still intact. "Look, I know you probably want to tell me how dangerous they are and blah blah blah but I need some time alone with Natsu right now, so could you please just get rid of the bed and we'll talk later?"

I saw a muscle in Loke's jaw twitch, meaning he wanted to say something, but instead he only bowed to me. "Very well, Princess. I trust your judgment regarding the hot-head. But we  _ will _ talk about this later."

With that, Loke and the remains of the bed disappeared in a shimmer of gold. Standing up from on top of Natsu, I muttered an embarrassed apology before going to gather all of the food bags from the floor. We got lucky, seeing as only one egg roll was a casualty.

"So..." Natsu said with a half-full mouth, food making his disposition brighten considerably. "Why did you tell Loke we slept together and that's how you got burned?"

"Ugh," I groaned out, putting down my chopsticks with a slight bang. "I didn't tell him  _ anything _ . He saw my injuries, saw the bed, then jumped to conclusions. Stupid Celestial Lion, ought to skin him alive..." I let my mumbling taper off.

Natsu sat back, sighing as he rubbed his full belly. "Why did you summon him in the first place? Everyone knows he's insanely protective of you. You should have guessed how he would react."

Clenching my teeth, I said, "I  _ didn't _ summon him. I tried to summon Gemini but it's their day off so Loke came through on his own magic."

I heard Natsu mumble something about a nosy prick, and I couldn't help but giggle aloud at that.

"Yeah, he's nosy, but I don't mind... Sometimes. He was my friend before he was one of my Spirits," I said, leaning back while I nibbled on a carrot.

Silence seemed to permeate the room almost instantly. Looking up expecting to see Natsu asleep in a food coma, I was slightly taken aback to see that he was actually staring at me.

"What?" I asked nervously, putting my carrot back down on my plate.

"Take your shirt off."

A full five seconds passed as I looked dumbly at Natsu. My face finally twisted into anger, screaming out, "You PERVERT!"

I hadn't meant to but out of reflex, my hand swung out, making a harsh, flat-palmed slap across his face.

"Ow!" he cried out, backing away while rubbing the slap mark. "Oi! I didn't say that to be a sleaze! You just need to put on something not so... Burnt."

Gasping lightly, I looked down at my favorite purple top. You could clearly see the burns, but what was most disturbing was the fact that I was one wrong stretch away from becoming completely topless. Squeaking like a scared mouse, I brought my arms across my chest to make sure the top didn't completely come off. "I forgot! Oh my God!"

"Now who's the pervert?" he asked with a sneer. Shooting Natsu the foulest glare I could muster, I stood and grabbed my suitcase.

"Shut up, you annoying little cockroach! Now I'm about to go shower so when I get back, be prepared to start working on that riddle! We've already wasted half a day that could have been used for work."

Grabbing a change of clothes from my case, I stomped into the bathroom and slammed the door behind me. Not wasting any time, I turned on the shower to the most comfortable temperature I could stand before stripping down and stepping in. I could feel the burn cream slipping off of my skin immediately, revealing what used to be severe burns, but had turned into a light pink color. It wasn't one hundred percent healed, but it was enough that it didn't hurt unless I applied a bit of forceful pressure.

Ignoring my fading burns, I took the bottle of hotel shampoo and emptied it into my hair, praying that it was enough to get rid of the soot smell. I scrubbed my blonde locks vigorously until I was satisfied, then began to soap up my body. I let my mind begin to wander as I enjoyed the soothing feeling.

I was beyond upset about what Lisanna and Bickslow had done to Natsu. He was in so much pain. How could she just toss aside someone as great as the Dragon Slayer? He was so intense and passionate. He loved the people around him without a second thought. He would die before letting anything happen to his friends. He was so kind, and loyal, and funny.

And then there was the man himself. Perfectly sculpted abs that seemed to be made of the smoothest of marble. The way sweat would sometimes roll down those works of art would make me swallow hard and avert my gaze. His arms bulged with just enough muscle to make my heart flutter every time I focused on them. The way his face would light up, matching his spiky pink hair was irresistible. He was the epitome of everything a man should be, and that thought alone had me hot and bothered.

Opening my eyes against the pounding of water, I finally came out of my thoughts to find myself... Oh my God! I was not just doing what I thought I was doing while thinking about Natsu!? Holy  _ Hell _ , what was wrong with me!? My best friend had just had his heart ripped to pieces and there I was in the shower in the next room from him, touching myself while  _ thinking _ about him! I was such an awful friend!

Face as red as a beet, I rinsed myself as fast as I could before stepping out of the shower and redressing. I was beyond furious at that point. Lisanna. Bickslow. Loke... Myself. We all deserved to get the Hell beaten out of us.

Finally clean and in fresh clothes, I splashed my face a few times with cold water, trying to make my embarrassed blush go away. I knew it wouldn't work though. I had... Experimented with myself before, but never while thinking about people I knew. Ugh, I could have just dropped dead right then.

Finally emerging from the bathroom, clad in a blue tank top and white shorts, I saw Natsu sitting cross-legged on my bed holding – my keys? "What are you doing?! Aquarius will drown me in my sleep if she found out a fire-breather was fondling her Key!" I freaked. Snatching my set of keys away from him, I hooked them onto my holster.

"Sorry!" Natsu laughed. Suddenly giving me a pondering look, he leaned forward and asked, "So why did Aquarius agree to share your mother's contract with you if she hates you so much?"

Sitting down on the bed next to Natsu and pulling the job flyer towards me, I said, "Well, um... She didn't  _ always _ hate me. She was actually my first Spirit. But I summoned her at a really bad moment one time and she... She'll never forgive me.  _ I'll _ never forgive me. I  _ never _ wanted to see one of my Spirits completely naked."

Natsu couldn't contain his laughter as he rolled around on the bed. "Oh. Oh man... That's fantastic! So... So she didn't make you break the contract?"

"No," I said with a sheepish smile. "Celestial Spirit Rules forbid breaking contracts for something so petty. So she agreed not to kill me in exchange for only summoning her twice every three months, max. It doesn't stop her from being hostile when I do summon her, though. Now that I have Scorpio's key, however, she wouldn't want to break her contract."

"Wow," Natsu said, looking at the keys on my hip. "Like I said, Luce. Your kind is rare. To have such dedicated Spirits is even more rare."

"Yeah, maybe," I said nonchalantly. Pulling the flyer up to my face, I said, "Okay, now this riddle."

Natsu suddenly gave me a sly smile. "Yeah. It's the key to Mount Rumble. We have to find it."

"Wh-What?" I asked in exasperation. "You've already figured out the riddle? When? How?"

Canines poking out through his smile brightly, Natsu responded, "Well, I knew from the get-go that we obviously needed to access Mount Rumble, which is on the outskirts of Starview. Why do you think we came straight here? And I know it's gotta be a key because the only way to enter the mountain is through a single door that hasn't opened in a really long time. So I put two and two together and – tada – we need to somehow find the key to Mount Rumble. I'm sure that's where we'll find the next riddle."

I only sat there in shock. After all those times I told him we needed to work on the riddle and he had already figured it out! ' _ Ugh, add  _ **_smart_ ** _ to the list of Natsu's amazing qualities _ .'

No, that was something I definitely didn't need to focus on. "You could have told me that you knew the answer, you jerk! What do we do now, then? Should we start asking around the town to see if any of the residents know anything?"

Leaning back slightly, Natsu agreed. "Yeah, I guess. Maybe someone will know where they keep the records of the mountain or something." He paused for a moment, but I continued to look out the window. There were tropically colored birds of all kinds flying past, making for a beautiful display. When Natsu spoke again, his voice light with somber. "But we should probably wait until tomorrow."

Looking over at Natsu next to me, I then saw what made him pause. The skin on my right arm was still very pink, but no worse than a sunburn. The Dragon Slayer was looking at it with remorse in his eyes.

"Natsu," I said softly, flashing him a smile. "I'm perfectly fine. You don't have to worry about me. I'm an extremely rare and powerful wizard, remember?" I tried to joke in a mocking tone, repeating his words back to him.

It took him a moment, but when Natsu finally gave me a sly smile, I felt the tension in my chest ease. "Fine. But we've already wasted most of this day, so it'll probably be better to get a fresh start early tomorrow."

Smiling at Natsu, I nodded. "Sounds good."


	3. Chapter 29

**Chapter 3: The Hunt**

_ One of his hands was supporting the back of my head, using it to bring his soft kiss even closer while his other hand explored the length of my body. It was so hot, beads of sweat accumulated and rolled down my bare chest as he explored even more intimate areas. Slowly and gently, we touched each other tenderly, learning each and every inch of each others' bodies. The air was filled with gasps and moans and the heady scent that was just  _ **_him_ ** _. _

_ "Natsu..." _

Jerking myself upright, I panted hard, feeling real sweat beading up on my skin.

' _ Holy... Holy  _ **_fuck_ ** ,' I thought frantically. I could still feel the extreme discomfort between my legs, and my heart was pounding harshly in my chest. Looking around, I realized that my mortification had yet to end. Natsu had fallen asleep on the only remaining bed first, so I had made a pallet on the floor for me to sleep. And I  _ did _ go to sleep there. But then, as I had woken up from the most intense dream of my life, I found myself in the bed... With Natsu beside me, fast asleep.

' _ How did I get in the bed with Natsu? I didn't... My libido did  _ **_not_ ** _ make me hop into bed with him in my sleep. Did it? Oh, God. I didn't touch him, did I? We didn't do anything... did we? _ '

As these thoughts ran frantically through my head, I felt Natsu shift, freezing me in place. With a muffled mumble, I heard him say, "Lucy..."

My heart almost stopped completely. Was he awake and addressing me? Or was he possibly having the same kind of dream I had?

' _ Of course not, idiot _ ,' I scolded myself. The poor guy just had his heart ripped out. He wouldn't...

"Yes, Natsu?" I asked quietly, hesitantly .

I felt him shift again, and suddenly he was turned on his side, facing me. He was awake.

"Why are you awake? We got a lot to do tomorrow..." he said sleepily, yawns breaking up his words.

Thankfully it was dark so he couldn't see the heat rise to my face once more. "Um, I'm awake because I'm not where I fell asleep."

Rolling back over, Natsu gave me a sleepy sigh. "I wasn't gonna let you sleep on the floor. The bed is big enough."

Natsu's explanation tapered off as it was replaced with a soft snore.

' _ So Natsu put me in bed with him? Strange, strange man... _ '

...

Starview was a much larger city than Magnolia, but it wasn't home to any kind of Guild. The residents weren't anti-magic, per-say, but they were paranoid of the power it brought. Natsu went off by himself to one side of the city, where I started on the other in search for information on the key. The city was safe enough, so splitting up was no big deal. We had been searching for a week solid.

We got an early start on the first day, which is when we both agreed to meet at the restaurant by the hotel every day at noon to take a break and share any possible information we might have found.

I still had about thirty minutes until I was to meet Natsu at the diner, and I was dragging my feet hard. I had probably spoken to over a hundred citizens that morning, and none of them knew anything about Mount Rumble. It was disheartening, to say the least.

I used my spare thirty minutes by taking my time walking to the restaurant. My feet were killing me, but I supposed it was my fault. I had tried to dress as cute as possible, which included heels, in hopes of some desperate old pervert having any information. So far, the heels had only gotten me a blister.

Once I made it to the restaurant, I sat down in and mine and Natsu's usual booth, blowing a stray piece of blonde hair away from my face. I was exhausted. Natsu and I had agreed that morning that if nothing turned up that day, we were going to have to visit the actual mountain on the outskirts of the city.

"The usual?"

The waiter almost had me jump from my seat, he scared me so much. I had been so focused on Natsu coming in, hopefully with good news, that I had forgotten about our waiter.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," I said frantically, smiling sheepishly at the attractive server. "Um, yeah. The usual. My friend will be here in a moment."

"Coming right up," he said with a wink, closing his pad and walking away.

I knew what the waiter was doing, but I didn't care. Ignoring it, I probably waited another five minutes before I heard the jingle of the diner door. Looking up, I smiled as I watched the pink-haired Dragon Slayer strolling towards our table.

"Any luck?" he asked, taking his usual seat across from me.

"Not one damn bit," I said regretfully, pulling my left shoe off to rub my blistered heel.

"Yeah, me neither," he said morosely. "It seems like most of the people in this town are too scared to even talk about the mountain. I tried getting council with the mayor, but he's been sick in the hospital."

"Well," I said tiredly, looking in the direction of our waiter, hoping food would come soon. "I guess we'll spend the rest of the day asking around some more. If there's no luck, I suppose we're going to the mountain in the morning."

Natsu nodded quietly, but only because his mouth began to instantly water as we caught sight of the server bringing our food. Once the table was settled and Natsu was digging in, the server hung around for a moment, looking at me.

It took me a second to realize it, but when I did, I looked up at him and gave him a puzzling look. "Um, yes?"

The server suddenly blushed, obviously not realizing he'd been staring. "Oh, I'm so sorry. My apologies. It's just... You and your comrade have been in here every day for the past week now and I thought you looked familiar. Now I think I've figured out who you are."

Eye twitching in slight irritation, I couldn't help but think, ' _ If I hear the name 'Heartfilia', I'm going to punch this guy in the throat _ .' "Okay..." I said calmly, setting my napkin over my lap. "And who do you think I am?" I smiled sweetly, but I hoped it came off as a bit psychotic.

His dark eyes shined. "Lucy of Fairy Tail, right? The only Celestial Mage in the Guild?"

I felt my jaw drop as the guy's eyes seem to bulge like hearts. My cheeks flamed up. "Oh! Oh yes! How did you know?" I asked, giving him a genuine smile this time.

Our server's eyes lit up. "I know we're not much of a magic town, but I've been reading Sorcerer Weekly for years! When I saw your article and picture I was absolutely blown away – !"

Natsu seemed to be growling at the poor guy when he barked out, "Okay, we get it! She's a beautiful semi-famous wizard. Can we get back to eating, please?"

Natsu's completely uncalled for outburst caught me and the server both off guard. Before I could say anything, the server bowed lowly. "My sincerest apologies, sir! I'll let you get back to your meal!" With that, our server seemed to scamper behind the counter and out of sight.

"Natsu!" I scolded, banging my fist on the table. "What is wrong with you? The poor guy was just a fan!"

Natsu was still glaring in the direction that the server had disappeared, chewing absently on the cinnamon stick from his tea. "The guy was wasting our time, Lucy," he growled. "We have work to do and I can't afford for my partner to get distracted by some pretty boy fan."

The server's gushing obviously grated on Natsu's nerves. At first my mind wondered if the Dragon Slayer could possibly be jealous, but I quickly brushed that thought off. It had only been a little over a week since he had his heart broken, and I was no Lisanna. I couldn't even begin to compare to her.

"Who says he planned on distracting me?" I asked with a challenge. "And what's it to you, anyway? I'm allowed to have admirers and maybe even date one if I want!" I was sure I look like an angry banshee at that moment. After a week of completely inappropriate dreams about Natsu and having no way of ridding myself of the frustration I was feeling, I was almost desperate enough to pick up a random guy. Almost. If I wasn't a virgin, I probably would have.

Natsu couldn't seem to come up with anything to say because all he did was let his fork clang loudly as it dropped to his dish. Standing up quickly, he muttered, "I'm finished. We'll keep searching the rest of the day and if there's still no luck we'll be leaving out early in the morning."

Before I could say anything, Natsu was out the door, trekking in the opposite direction of the restaurant.

Cheeks burning red with anger, I snarled to myself, "Ugh! Stupid men and their stupid fucking mood swings!" Throwing some Jewel onto the table, I rushed out the door as well, ready to get the rest of the day over with.

...

Six hours later found me piled under stacks of books in the town's library. I had my Gale-Force reading glasses going full speed, reading every piece of local news and history that the library had to offer.

After about two hours of avid reading, something finally caught my eye. A mangled gray book that sat atop one of the piles called out to me. I wasn't sure why, but I couldn't help but follow my instinct. Careful not to topple of the towers of books around me, I reached up and gently grabbed the ragged book. Pulling it down to look at the cover, which bore symbols I couldn't read, I immediately felt a tingle of warmth shoot through me as the book briefly glowed a purple magic cast symbol on its cover before fading away completely.

Oh, yes. I found something, and it was definitely magical. Putting on my glasses once more, I began the quick process of taking in the entirety of the book. When I was finished a few minutes later, I knew I needed to get back to Natsu, and immediately. Looking around quickly to make sure the coast was clear, I stuffed the book into my bag hastily and all but ran from the library. I was never one to steal, but I didn't have time to set up an account with the library just to check out one book.

Slamming through the front doors of the library, I cursed to myself out loud. "Damn, it's already dark!" Since Natsu and I had stayed separated throughout the past few days, we both made a point to get back to the hotel by dark so as to not make each other worry.

Clutching my bag close to me, I took off at a sprint down the street, where people were slowly dwindling away to their homes for the night. Cutting to the right, I ran full-speed down the alley I had found that took me directly behind the hotel. As I rounded the corner to the home stretch, I was suddenly stopped in place by a pair of strong hands grabbing both my forearms from behind.

The sudden stop brought my feet from underneath me, dropping me until I was only supported by the hands that were gripping my arms.

"Let me go!" I screamed out without hesitation, kicking my legs behind me and trying to stomp my assailant's feet.

A man's deep voice that I didn't recognize chuckled from behind me. "Not a chance. You called us to you."

"What?" I asked wildly, still struggling against the man's hold. "I didn't call anybody, so get the fuck off me!"

Another man's voice resounded from further behind me. "Oh, you may not know it, but you called us."

The man's grip kept me from reaching my keys, and it only pissed me off more. "Look! If this is about the book, I'll pay for it, okay!? There's no reason to manhandle me!"

With that, I used my most daring defensive move, which would hurt me too but give me access to my keys. Bringing my head back as hard as I could, I felt it make contact with my captor's nose, making quite a sickening crunch. Holding the back of my head as tears of pain sprang to my eyes, I turned and tried to get a look at the men. It seemed like my luck had run short, however. The alley was much too dark, and they were both wearing hooded robes.

The man I had smashed in the nose recovered much faster than I had hoped, because he immediately grabbed me by the shoulders and threw me roughly, aiming me deeper into the alley. The pain of landing was excruciating as I fell into a pile of broken crates and pallets. There was a sharp stabbing pain in my leg, but I couldn't focus on that as the men both descended on me.

Thinking frantically, I felt around my hip for my keys and snatched one off. "Open! Gate of the Ram! Aries!"

The usual golden light filtered through the alley as the meek and timid Spirit stood there in her wool.

"Oh! Princess, you're hurt! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry I wasn't here sooner!" Aries exclaimed, glancing at the two malicious looking men.

"It's not your fault, Aries!" I said through gritted teeth, still trying to catch my breath from my landing. "I just really need your help getting rid of these dirtbags! I have to get back to Natsu!"

Aries bowed lowly. "Of course! I'm sorry. Consider it done, Princess!"

It only took just a few moments for Aries to overpower the men, knocking them unconscious using her wool magic. Right as I was about to thank Aries for her help, another bright golden light filtered through the alley, revealing Loke standing next to Aries.

"Lucy, are you okay?!" He exclaimed, immediately rushing to me where I was still laid out on the pile of broken wood. Brushing chunks of splinters away, Loke scooped me into his arms. When I gave him a puzzled look, he explained, "I noticed you summoning Aries. I came to make sure everything was okay. What happened?"

Gritting my teeth, I said, "And once again, I didn't summon  _ you _ . But yeah, I just needed a little help with these thugs." Ignoring that Loke was still holding me, I looked at Aries. "Thank you for your help. You can go back now if you want."

Bowing to me, she said, "I'm sorry. I'll do better next time. At your service anytime, Princess." And with that, she was gone.

"Ugh, I let one Spirit call me that and suddenly they all want to." Readying myself to chew Loke out, I opened my mouth, only to let out a pained groan. "Oww... What... What the hell?"

Twisting around and Loke's arms, I reached a hand down to my right leg where the pain was coming from. It was dark, so I couldn't see anything, but I could feel the warm wetness of blood on my fingertips as I drew them away. Apparently Loke had no problem seeing in the dark.

"Lucy, you're hurt!" he said, seriousness over taking his usual offhand attitude. "Come on. I'll take you back to your hotel room."

"Wait!" I said, stopping him by placing a hand on his chest. Indicating to the two unconscious men on the ground, I said, "We have to do something about them! They obviously know something or want something from me. I think it has to do with a book I just found. I need to know what they want but I also need to speak to Natsu!"

Loke set his usual smirk into a thin line, almost like a scowl as he looked at the men. "If that's true, then you're right. I'm going to set you down so I can contain them real quick. I'll come back for them once you're safe with Natsu."

After what I read in that strange book, I wasn't sure how safe I'd actually be, but I didn't have a choice. Natsu was my best friend. I had to be there for him.

It only took Loke a moment to completely subdue the two men before he had me back in his arms once more, moving swiftly to the hotel at only speeds a Celestial Spirit could reach. He seemed to know his way around, because he completely skipped the lobby and just scaled the building to mine and Natsu's room, using the window.

All Hell broke loose as soon as we got inside.

"Lucy, where the hell have you been!?" Natsu freaked. It appeared that he had been pacing the floor, and the room was a wreck. "It got dark hours ago and – "

Natsu cut himself off as he sniffed the air briefly. "You're hurt?!" He freaked some more, not so gently yanking me from Loke's hold. Casting a scathing glance at the Spirit, Natsu shoved everything off the bed and set me down. In the light, I could finally see why my leg hurt so much. A large, jagged piece of broken wood the size of a Bowie knife was stabbed into the underside of my thigh, just a few inches below my backside. It was bleeding pretty profusely.

While nausea gripped my stomach at the site, I could hear Natsu yelling at Loke, though everything seemed kind of distant.

"What did you do to her?!"

"I helped rescue her, pyro! She was like this when I found her!"

"Then what the hell happened?"

"Lucy got jumped by a couple of men... Called Aries... Check on her... Go back for those men..."

I knew I was starting to lose consciousness, because everything, including the men's voices, was fading in and out slowly.

"Nat... Natsu..." I said, trying to hang on to warn him. My eyes were too heavy. Once they closed, I found it impossible to reopen them. ' _ I have to tell him _ ...'

"Nat... su... The... Book..."

...

God, I was such a fucking weakling. I summon one Spirit for only a few minutes and it put me out like a light!

Wait,  _ did _ I only summon one Spirit? Aries, right? Then why did I remember Loke? I didn't summon him...?

Eyes snapping straight open, I gasped, "The book!"

What I hadn't expected was for my voice to echo. I was laying on something nowhere near as comfortable as the hotel bed, and the temperature was much colder than I was accustomed to. Looking around, I noted that I was in a cave of some type, about the size of my bedroom at home. A fire was built in the middle of the cave, creating just enough warmth to ward off the heavy snowfall that tried to make it through the small entrance. I was laying on blankets that were layered up, cushioning me some but not much. My leg felt like it was on fire.

Looking down, I also noted that I was swaddled with a long-sleeved wool robe. Looking around to be sure I was alone, I moved the right flap of the robe over and observed my injured leg. Because of the wound's position on my leg, it was hard to get a look at, but it was obvious that it had been fixed up and wrapped neatly.

Sitting myself up, I wasn't even given the chance to worry about Natsu before he strolled through the cave's entrance, any snow that touched him instantly turning to water and just evaporating or rolling off of him in droplets. His arms were loaded down with wood.

"Natsu?" I asked questioningly, cocking my head to one side.

Natsu's gaze zeroed in on me as he shook the remaining water from his hair. A smile formed on his face as he dropped the firewood. "Lucy! You're awake!

Laughing slightly as I ran my hand through my ragged hair, I said, "Heh, yeah. But, um, once again, not where I fell asleep...?"

Natsu almost barreled into me on the ground, but stopped just short. Placing a hand to my forehead, he said, "How are you feeling? You're probably a little weak from blood loss."

Shaking my head and waving him off, I said, "My leg's fine, I'm fine. I gotta talk to you – "

"Luce, don't worry about the Phoenix Riders right now," Natsu said, almost smirking. "Loke told me what he knew, and I used your glasses thingies to read that weird book. Then I went and interrogated those two dudes while Loke had Aries pop back in to fix you up."

"So you know then? Natsu, we have to stop, they'll  _ kill _ you – !"

"Not a chance," he scoffed, moving my robe over to check my bandages. I averted my eyes as he did this. "They may be really good Slayer trackers, but it's only cause they have the nose for it."

"Is... Is that while we're in a cave right now? The wind and snow make it too hard for them to find you?" I asked, shivering at the sight of the storm blowing outside.

"Exactly," he grinned, pulling my blanket back on top of me. "I've got to say, good job finding that book, Lucy. Well, also bad job, because it sensed you had a connection to a Dragon Slayer, which is what called those guys out. But still," he laughed as though he were thinking of something absurd. "I never would have guessed that Dragon Slayer  _ Hunters _ still existed..."

I almost started to say something comforting, but he obviously didn't need it as he laughed jovially. "And they're so weak! I mean,  _ Aries _ took them out – "

"Hey!" I snapped. "Are you calling my Spirits weak?!"

I could see Natsu struggle to take the smirk off his face. "N-no! It's just... Well, Dragon Slayer Hunters are supposed to be much more  _ formidable _ . They damn well used to be, at least. For the longest time, I thought they were the reason Igneel left."

"Fine. So they're not as powerful as the book led them to be. But what about the mountain? The book said it used to be their lair, and we have to go in there to continue the job. How do we know that place isn't still swarming with those men?" Ugh, the whole ordeal was beyond frustrating. Removing my blanket, I tried to stand up, fighting to ignore the pain in my leg.

Natsu was two steps ahead of me, however. Grabbing one shoulder gently, he pushed me back down into a sitting position. "Don't even try getting up right now. You'll pass out again. And I have a feeling that the place  _ is _ still swarming with those men, but I'm not worried," he said with a toothy grin. "I already know where the entrance to the mountain is, I just have to get the key, which I might not even need. Once you're healed a little better, you can summon one of your Spirits to keep an eye on you while I go get it. I gotta say, Luce. That was one Hell of a book you found. Basically handed this part of the job to us on a silver platter."

My irritation was trying to get the better of me. "Natsu, we have to go into a den of  _ Dragon Slayer Hunters _ . You're a  _ Dragon Slayer _ . How the Hell is that handing us the job on a silver platter?" I was pretty sure my eye was twitching.

"Because," he said, jumping to his feet. "That book knocked out all the guess work! From here until we get the next riddle, it's all manual labor. I'm much better at plowing through a battle than research."

"Ugh," I groaned to myself, laying back on my pallet. "Testosterone."

Walking over to where he dropped the firewood, Natsu picked up a few pieces and tossed them onto the burning pile. I watched him take a small taste of the flames before returning his attention to me. "Hey, say what you want, but I think this job is starting out quite nicely. We'll sit tight here for a couple of days to let you build your strength back up and then I'll go grab the key and rush the Hunters' base. We'll be on our way to the second riddle by next week."

" _ Starting out quite nicely? _ " I asked in a bewildered tone. "Yeah, I've only had half my body burned and been shanked in the leg. Great start." Regret immediately flooded me at those words, but I knew it was too late to take them back. Natsu already blamed himself enough as it was.

I waited for Natsu's reaction, but it never came as he seemed to deflate a bit. "Yeah, about that..."

"No," I said quickly. "I know what you're thinking and want to say but don't. None of it's your fault."

"Well, I know the burns were," he said almost morosely, taking the seat next to me as the blizzard raged outside the cave. "I can't deny that it was my fault, Lucy. I let my emotions over Lisanna get the best of me, and it got you hurt."

I opened my mouth to say something, but he continued, looking down at his hands almost in shame. "And it was probably one of the dumbest things I've ever done. I was completely distraught over her betrayal, but... It's taken me a few days, but I realize that letting myself get so upset over her is the most pointless thing I can do right now. Yeah, I loved her, but now... I'm not so sure. I don't think I can truly love someone who would do something like that. So, I'm done being upset with her. I'm done being mad at Bickslow. My anger does nothing but hurt the people around me, so I'm accepting that I no longer hold love for Lisanna like I thought I did."

By the time Natsu had finished, I could feel tears pricking my eyes. Sitting up quickly, I wrapped my arms around Natsu, pulling him in close. "Natsu, it's okay to be upset about it. She – they – hurt you."

I felt Natsu apply a little pressure, indicating that he was reciprocating the hug. I heard him from over my shoulder, "I know. And I was, but I let it go. I can't move forward if I won't let go of the past. So that's what I did. I let go of my past with her. Now I want to focus on the present, with this job and being with my partner and how stinkin' rich we'll be when we finish this job."

I felt my heart warm at those words. Though I still had to hide my feelings for him, it was good to see him bouncing back and happy to at least be in my presence. Natsu Dragneel was definitely something else.

......

**_Please R &R! _ **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Mount Rumble**

_ His mouth was sealed over mine, pressing our bodies together tightly. The lips that dance across my own were unbearably hot and commanding, moving across my own as his tongue sought entrance. I granted it to him, feeling him mold his mouth to mine. I could feel his hands trace the edge of my jaw and continue to skim over the sensitive skin above my collar bone. His hand continued to move down further, brushing my hot, bare skin down to my breast, which he suddenly gave a gentle squeeze. Oh! _

"Ngh," I groaned, waking me instantly. I was panting hard, sweat beading up on my chest and I could feel a wetness in the most uncomfortable of places. My body still felt like it was on fire.

Ignoring the howling wind outside the mountain cave, I turned over to look at Natsu. Being the living, breathing heater that he was, he insisted that we slept close to one another to make sure I stayed warm in my sleep. Well, it worked, and then some. Feeling his body against mine as I tried to fall asleep had led to some very enticing dreams, and it was embarrassing as hell to wake up next to the man in them.

"Luce, you okay?" I heard him mumble, though his face wasn't visible.

"Y-Yeah. I'm – I'm fine. Bad dream. Sorry."

I wasn't sure if I sounded convincing, but he didn't question it. "Mm'kay. Get some sleep. Big day tomorrow."

Grumbling, mostly to myself, "Yeah, for you, maybe."

"Huh?" I heard him ask confusedly. I couldn't help but look down at his open vest, showing his god-like physique. I wanted to touch him so badly.

"Um, I said I'm cold," I lied. As much as I hated myself for it, I was technically cheating my way through my fantasies.

"C'mere," he breathed sleepily, reaching out blindly and grabbing me by the waist, pulling me to him. With his body flush against mine, he mumbled one last time, "You don't hafta ask..."

...

"Why won't you just let me go with you?! If the place is full, you're gonna need some help. I could just call Aquarius and she'll drown them all in one go!"

Natsu and I had been arguing since the break of dawn, partly because I was worried about him, but mostly because I was frustrated with him. It was extremely petty of me considering my sexual frustration was not technically his fault. Yes, I wanted him, but it wasn't like he even knew, let alone could help.

I suppose I was mostly mad at myself. I let myself reach my twenties while still being a virgin. Yeah, I had gone on a few dates, but they all seemed so... fake. Like, I couldn't even be myself. I even started introducing myself as Lucy of Fairy Tail, just to see if the guys reacted any differently to me rather than gush over my long-gone family fortune. It would work for a while, but it always eventually came out about who I used to be. I found it strange at first that it took the Guild forever to find out who I was, but all men that dated me found out almost immediately.

And then I realized I had been sabotaging myself without even noticing. Deep down, I didn't want any of those guys. All I could do was think of Natsu, so I was purposely giving too much information. It always turned into a, "Oh my God, Heartfilia?!' which was always my immediate prompt to walk away from my date.

As soon as I figured out that my feelings for Natsu were ruining everything and causing me to borderline on obsession, I quit dating. Instead, I focused on doing jobs and training. I figured having no man was my cue to start working on myself, hoping I could focus on nothing else. I became very good at working in tandem with my Spirits, and my movements with my whip were becoming stronger and faster.

After a while of said routine, I finally came to a point that being around Natsu when he was with Lisanna wasn't painful. Lisanna was a really nice girl and pretty powerful. She had been perfect for Natsu.

Sadly bringing myself back to our argument, I listened to Natsu as he put his foot down.

Clenching his teeth in irritation, he crossed his arms across his sculpted chest and challenged, "Fine. You wanna come so bad? Walk over to me without falling."

' _ Oh my God! This man's logical reasoning is driving me insane! _ '

He and I both knew that my leg wasn't healed enough for me to walk, let alone battle. When he saw the look on my face, he smirked. "Thought so. You're better off here with your Spirits protecting you than being in the line of fire with a bum leg. I won't be gone long. I promise."

Pouting, I nodded. "Please be careful, Natsu. You have to come back for me..." I paused a moment and gave him a stern smile. "I mean, you  _ really _ have to come back for me. I don't even know where we are."

"I promise." With his genuine excited smile, he bounced out of the cave and out of sight.

Once his presence was gone, it was like all the warmth of the cave vanished with him, even though the fire still burned strongly. Natsu had gathered enough wood to last several days, but I hoped he knew that I would be going after him if he didn't come back by the next morning.

The wind rushing past the cave entrance created a whistling sound, which echoed emptily through the cave. I was bored, but I wasn't going to use my energy to summon a Spirit just for company. I was a writer. I could keep myself entertained.

Luckily, after Natsu sprung it on me that we were on a half-year job and we had gotten to Starview, I stopped at the nearest store immediately to pick up some pens and paper.

So that was my plan for the day. I spent hours working on my new novel, only breaking briefly to eat an apple from our small stash of food. It was nearly six in the evening when the pace changed completely.

"Lucy."

Jerking my head up, I looked around quickly before finding myself face-to-face with Loke, the Spirit who liked to ignore Gate Rules.

"Loke!" I said, startled. Baring my teeth, I snarled, "What is with you and just popping in on your own? I hope you're using your own magic for this – !"

All he did was laugh, sitting down beside me next to the fire. "Come on, Lucy. If I'm here without you summoning me, it's always on my own magic."

Rolling my eyes, I set my pen and paper to the side and drew my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. "Okay. Fine. So what are you doing here?" I couldn't help but glance at the cave entrance every few moments, hoping to see Natsu bound in with victory in his grasp.

Loke seemed to notice. "Don't worry about the hot-head, Lucy. He'll be fine. I actually just wanted to come talk to you. The past couple of times I've seen you haven't exactly been under the best of circumstances."

"No kidding," I mumbled to myself. Grabbing a large piece of wood from beside me, I tossed it onto the fire before wrapping myself more securely in my blanket. The growing darkness was making the temperature drop significantly.

"Are you cold, Princess?" Loke asked with a sly grin, raising an eyebrow at me. "I can help keep you warm."

"Ugh," I growled. "Shut up. I'm fine." Again, a glance to the entryway.

Loke seemed to observe my motion very soundly. With a knowing grin, he said, "Ah. I'm just not quite warm enough. Not as warm as, say... a certain Dragon Slayer?"

My eyes widened, looking sharply at the Spirit.

"What – you... Huh?" I asked dumbly. Why was I suddenly so obvious?

With that, Loke burst into laughter. "I'm only teasing, Lucy. But in all honesty, I did come here to chat."

Feeling the redness in my cheeks die down, I raised an eyebrow at the Zodiac. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," he confirmed, nodding his head briefly. "I want to know what's been going on."

Biting my lip, I furrowed my brow. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, for starters," he said, leaning back and using his hands to support himself, "I want to know what happened with you and the bed being set on fire. I know you said it wasn't Natsu's fault but I'm not sure I fully believe that."

"Oh," I said, biting my lip once more and staring into the fire. "Well, it's not really my place to say. Natsu... He just lost control over his emotions. I was trying to comfort him. Neither of us realized his fire magic was going haywire."

Loke didn't look pleased. "I don't see that as a reasonable excuse. I've seen Natsu lose it more than enough times to know that he can control it outside of battle."

Frowning slightly, I rested my chin on my blanketed knees. "Well, yeah. When he's angry. This time... He was just completely heartbroken. I can't blame him for that."

"Heartbroken?" Loke asked curiously. "Did something happen with him and Lisanna?"

"Um," I grumbled, poking at the fire with a stick. "Like I said, it's not really my place to talk about it, but yeah. She... Turns out that she had been cheating on him with Bickslow."

Loke's eyes grew slightly in surprise. "Man... That... Well, I can't say I wouldn't be upset, either, I guess. We always thought those two would be together forever. And then... Bickslow? Gross."

Looking back up at my Spirit, I asked, "So you understand, now? He didn't mean to get me hurt, and once he realized what happened, he immediately got me medicine. He felt awful about it, even before you decided to manhandle him. He probably still feels guilty."

The Spirit drew his brow together and his lips formed a thin line. "I guess I'll let it slide," Loke said, sitting up and adjusting his glasses. "But I'm still bound to protect you, so if it happens again..."

"It won't," I said with finality. I had no doubts about it. "I promise."

There was an uncomfortable silence that followed, the air having a hint of awkwardness. The only noises were coming from the whistling entrance of the cave and the crackling of the fire.

After nearly five minutes of nothing, Loke spoke once more, breaking the silence. "I'm guessing Lisanna would also be the reason you two took a half-year job by yourself, then?"

I nodded, not taking my eyes away from the fire. It was tearing me apart inside that something so horrible had happened to my best friend. Natsu said he had let it go, and I was grateful for that, but I wasn't going to let it go so easily. Natsu was the first real family I ever had after my mother passed away. I wasn't a vengeful enough person nor was I petty enough to kill the two for their indiscretions, but that wasn't going to stop me from punching both of them directly in the face once I saw them again. Natsu wouldn't approve, but I would be more than happy to take a punishment from Makarov just so I could make my point.

"He was gonna go by himself," I spoke softly, frowning.

I looked up to see Loke's surprised expression. "But he brought you? Why?"

Sighing softly, I began telling Loke the whole story up to that point. He sat and waited patiently for me to finish. Once I was done, the fire had burned down low, causing the freezing temperature to drop even further.

As I placed more wood on the fire, Loke said, "Wow. Twenty million is a lot of Jewel, but I can't help but wonder about the Gate Keys. One could be Capricorn, possibly, but Pisces and Libra are contracted. What could be as powerful as Zodiacs?"

"I d-don't know," I said, my teeth beginning to chatter. Yawning while shivering violently, I said tiredly, "I think I'm gonna try and get some sleep. At least if I'm asleep I won't feel myself freezing to death. You can go back now, Loke. I'll be fine, and using your own magic takes a lot from you."

"Not a chance, Princess," Loke smirked, adjusting his glasses once more. "Don't worry about my magic. I refuse to leave you unprotected while you sleep in the wilderness alone. It won't cost me much energy to just keep watch for a few hours."

"But, Loke... Staying in the human world is really bad for you," I said, giving the Spirit a stern look. "I can't ask one of my Spirits to  _ watch me while I sleep _ . Do you know how  _ weird _ that is?"

He wafted his hand through the air briefly, giving me a sly smile. "You didn't ask, and don't forget that I survived in this world for three years on my own magic. One night isn't going to hurt me in the least."

The cold had me weary, enough so that I just gave in rather than argue as I usually would. "F-fine. Do what you w-want. It's your m-m-magic," I managed to get out through chattering teeth. Laying down and turning my back to the fire and the Spirit, I wrapped the blankets around me as tight as I could to ward off the cold.

Just as I was getting comfortable, despite my shivers, I suddenly felt my blankets move as a warm body slid next to mine. Turning over quickly, I glared at Loke as he settled beside me.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?!" I snapped, propping on one elbow to glare at the Celestial Lion.

Grabbing me by the waist, Loke pulled me back down and against him as he said, "You're far too skinny to be in this kind of temperature. I know you said no but I can't let my Mage freeze to death. Don't worry. I'm just going to help keep you warm."

As much as I wanted to scream at the man – Spirit – I couldn't deny that having him wrapped around me substantially subdued my chills. No, Loke wasn't who I wanted him to be, but survival was survival. Besides, it wasn't like I never found the Lion attractive before, he just wasn't Natsu.

I couldn't make heads or tails of my feelings for Natsu at the moment. It felt like I had been in love with him for so long, but he was always with Lisanna, or waiting for her. Then suddenly, I was thrust into a six month long journey with the pink-haired wizard I was in love with, who just also happened to be single for the first available time.

But he was also my best friend who'd had his heart stomped on recently. What kind of person – what kind of friend – would just swoop in and start making moves on the guy? There should have been no way that I could have even thought about turning his devastation into my victory. It would make me the worst person on the planet. I could never be so selfish.

So hope was all that I could allow myself to feel. If he approached me, mentally stable and one hundred percent over Lisanna, I could  _ never _ deny the man.

"Just keep your hands to yourself, Lion," I grumbled into Loke's arm.

"Trust me, Lucy," I felt him half-laugh, his chest rumbling against my back. "I have no intentions of ever doing anything you don't want. However, I'm always more than willing if you ask."

I tensed up at that and he laughed softly in my ear. "Lighten up, dear Lucy. Get some rest. I'm not actually willing to challenge the Fire-Breather for you."

I opened my mouth to say something, but no sound came out. What did he say? What did he  _ know _ ? Was I obvious enough that my Spirit knew of my attraction to Natsu? Or did my Spirit know something about Natsu that I didn't?

It took a couple of long hours to finally drift off, my mind racing about what could possibly happen between me and the Fire Dragon Slayer.

...

"What the hell is going on, here?!"

The yells jolted me from my slumber very abruptly, making my heart jump into my throat. Snapping my eyes open, I could see daylight in the cave for the first time. I tried to sit up as fast as I could, but heavy arms were still wrapped around me, even though Loke's eyes were open. The stupid Spirit was smiling.

Wrestling to detangle myself from him, I sat up quickly and looked around for the source of the yell.

Natsu was standing a few feet into the entryway, gaping angrily down at Loke and me on the makeshift pallet. Looking from Natsu to Loke, who was sitting up then as well, then back to Natsu, I panicked "N-no! This is not what it looks like! It got really cold so Loke helped me out! That's it!" To be honest, I told myself that I shouldn't have to explain anything to Natsu considering there was nothing between us... But I also didn't want him to think that I was sleeping with one of my Spirits.

Natsu seemed to stand there, a few visible injuries very pronounced to me, and take the both of us in. He didn't even seem to move for several minutes as Loke smirked beside me, obviously happy with himself.

Before Natsu could say anything else, I growled at Loke, "You can go now. I don't need a babysitter."

With a knowing wink, the Spirit said, "Very well, Princess. I'm sure the Dragon Slayer can take it from here."

With that, the Lion Spirit misted away into a golden cloud. Looking up at Natsu, I could see he wasn't happy, but he also seemed to be warring with himself. As he still hadn't said anything, I stood up from the warmth of the blankets and crossed over to him, stumbling a few times in the process. Without hesitation, I threw my arms around his neck, pulling him close.

"Thank God you're okay!" I said, pulling back to look at his beaten form. "Well, alive. Come on, let's get you fixed up."

Taking Natsu's hand, I tried to lead him further into the cave, but he stood stock still. Looking up at his expression, I furrowed my brow together. "Natsu? Is... Is this about Loke?"

Natsu seemed to finally come to himself. Shaking his head roughly, he replied, "No. No. Just surprised, I guess."

He didn't sound angry, but he didn't sound happy, either. "Natsu, it's just like I said. He was only helping me out. I don't think of him... like that."

Natsu's face seemed to relax slightly. "Yeah? Well, it's not really my place – "

"Hush, Natsu," I said, silencing him. "My love life is not up for discussion, but believe me when I say that Loke is not in it. Now, you're hurt. Please let me bandage you up."

Natsu allowed me this time to lead him to the fire. Looking him over, I noticed his vest looked pretty ragged, and there were marks all over his chest. Looking him in his bright green eyes, I said, "Okay, you need to take your vest off so I can get a better look. I guess you self-cauterized most of the bleeding, so that's good. If only everyone had fire magic like you..."

Natsu did as I said, stretching his muscles taught as he pulled off the fabric. I swallowed hard, trying not to focus on it as I moved my gaze to his injuries. Natsu's eyes were on me the entire time I was inspecting him, making sure he didn't need any stitches anywhere. I was thorough, lightly touching certain places I was unsure of. I had definitely seen him in rougher shape, so I wasn't too terribly worried. After about fifteen minutes, I had effectively wrapped the worst of the injuries, and there didn't seem to be anything broken. Natsu finally spoke, then. "I think I'm fine, Luce. I just need something to eat and some rest. These injuries will be healed by tomorrow."

Nodding, I removed my hand from his abdomen, where I had been placing the last bandage. I thought I saw him shiver, but I knew it had to be a trick of the fire's light. "Okay, well, you can tell me all about what happened while I make you something to eat. I'll keep a lookout so you can get some rest, too. Neither of us are really in any shape to be traveling right now."


End file.
